Volunteer Sport Coaching Overseas: Football in Moldova

Can you name any of the current national Moldovan football squad? Thought not! Most people would even struggle to locate Moldova on a map. The Moldova national football team came into being following the split of the Soviet Union, as previously Moldovan players had played for the USSR national team.

Moldova is generally considered one of the weaker members of UEFA, but then again, with a population of just over 4 million people, qualifying for major tournaments was never going to be easy. However that does not mean the Moldovan supporters are any less passionate about their national sport.

At the top level there is fierce competition between the two big teams in Chisinau: FC Sheriff and FC Zimbru. Teams at the grassroots level however, find it a lot harder to survive. Lots of young players are forced to give up playing at an early age, as teams cannot find funding to continue. This means developing talent can be extremely hard, even for the best coaches.

Coach Football to Children with Projects Abroad

Due to the great success of our football development programme in Ghana, we have now decided to offer a similar football placement in Moldova. The project is available for anyone with a passion for the game, whether you are on a gap year, a career-break or as part of an extended holiday. The main idea is to help develop the skills and techniques of young people in the country, and through this to increase their future prospects.

We are working with Mr Victor Afanasiev - a UEFA-licensed coach – to develop the game at a variety of levels. Projects Abroad football volunteers will be helping Victor in the running of three different teams: a junior side with ages from 5 to 12, a youth side with ages from 13 to 17, and an adult side. This adult side is a Projects Abroad-owned side called Eikomena P.A. who play in Division A of the Moldovan national league - one league below the Premiership!

Eikomena are currently enjoying their first season of football, having been set up at the beginning of 2007 as part of a project uniting football enthusiasts across the world. The chairman of the team is Projects Abroad Director Peter Slowe, and his Vice Chairman, our very own Scott McQuarrie! The team was featured in the football magazine ‘4-4-2’ as their ‘Team of the Month’ in the December 2007 issue!

The name ‘Eikomena’ derives from the Greek for ‘where people live’ and was chosen to signify the international feel of the club; as well as the volunteers - who have a vital role to play in the day-to-day running of the team - we are also forging links with teams from around the world. Recently we had a player from Ghanaian side Inter Milas over, which was a great experience for everyone involved. You can see video footage of Allie-Musa Ajami in action if you click on the link. We are hoping to offer a similar chance to keen footballers from other destinations too. This opportunity can even extend to you, as a volunteer, provided you can make the grade. However, all volunteers will certainly be able to train with the first team.

To find out Eikomena’s latest results please click here.

The other teams our volunteers work with are from one of Moldova’s largest sports academies – ‘Sportiv Lyceum’ – which is based in Chisinau. Essentially a school for children gifted with sporting talent, Sportiv Lyceum is proud to count one of the country’s few Olympic medal winners as one of its former pupils.

Your Role Volunteering Abroad on a Football Project in Moldova

There are a number of different coaching roles you can undertake during this placement. In the mornings you will most likely attend the Spotiv Lyceum to help coach. If you have interests in other sports then do please tell us when you apply, as the school is always happy to have volunteers working in other areas. Daily timetables are split into two coaching sessions and one English or Mathematics lesson. You can also get involved in these subjects as well, if you wish.

During your time coaching football in the afternoons you will be responsible for the development of young footballers' basic skills and techniques. You will co-ordinate and plan coaching sessions around topics such as development of ball control, accurate passing, keeping possession and ‘moving into space’. Furthermore you will help your supervisor to plan match strategies and take practice games. You will probably be asked to assist in team selection and may even be required to be 'on the bench' for weekend or evening matches.

Hopefully once you finish your placement you will be able to raise awareness of Moldovan football back home and maybe even name a couple of their players!

Eikomena PA

Football Training Session

Our team in their strip